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COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE EFFICACY OF POLYNUCLEOTIDE-CHITOSAN AND POLYNUCLEOTIDE-ONLY INTRA ARTICULAR FORMULATION IN MONOIODOACETATE-INDUCED OSTEOARTHRITIC RAT MODELS

SEUL-ONG OHK ¹#, JONG HEON KIM ²#, SO YOUNG CHUN ¹, HA YOUNG JUNG ¹, KYU TAEK HWANG ², HYEON HO GIL ², CHI-YUP WON ¹, JI-YUN LEE ²*

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis, affecting millions globally. Polynucleotides (PN)-based intra-artic- ular injections have demonstrated efficacy as therapeutic agents for OA management. This study investigated the durability of the therapeutic efficacy of polynucleotide - chitosan formulation (PCF) with that of a conventional PN formulation (PNF) in a monoiodoacetate (MIA)-induced rat model of OA. In addition, the effect of the PCF on cartilage integrity was assessed through histological staining and modified scoring systems for cartilage destruction and inflammation. In the weight-bearing test, the PCF exhibited a longer attenuation duration than the PNF. Histological analyses indicated that the PCF reduced surface irreg- ularities and cartilage destruction. These findings suggest that the PCF may represent a promising therapeutic option for OA.